Take Every Thought Captive!

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“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”. (2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:5‬ ‭)

I want to be transparent with you about my weak moments. I know this scripture in 2 Corinthians and have even taught it. But, just because we know God’s truth does not mean it is easy to walk it out in our lives.

I have to admit that the isolation and social distancing during COVID-19 has been hard for me.  There are some days that I wake up and I can feel the heavy blanket of depression trying to take over my thoughts.  And that is not a good place to be!  Not only does it affect me but it affects those closest to me. 

Brothers and Sisters!  We all have times when we may feel despair, doubt, fear, frustration, anger, and hopelessness.  But, we need to make sure that we have the right response when and if it happens. 

We are told in God’s word that we are to TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE to the obedience of Jesus! We are to DESTROY speculations and every lofty thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God.

In other words, are our thoughts in alignment with our knowledge of who God is and in alignment with who God says we are?

We don’t have to act upon every thought!  We don’t have to allow our thoughts to dictate how we feel about ourselves or others.  We don’t have to allow our thoughts to be the “rudder” of our lives!

WE are in control of what thoughts we allow to take hold in our lives! If the thoughts we are having are causing us to fear, to hate, to be judgmental, or to feel depressed and unworthy —then we are to TAKE AUTHORITY over our thoughts and replace them with GOD’S TRUTH!!

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬)‭

LORD, thank You for being the Giver of Truth! Thank You for empowering us through Your Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and to not be ruled by them. We bring our thoughts into obedience to YOU!! Thank You, Jesus, for being the way, and the truth, and the life! It is in Your Name that we pray. AMEN!!

~Tina K. Roach

According To His Will

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“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:14-15‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Prayer works!  Prayer makes a difference!  May we never take it for granted, but may we see it for what it is. Prayer is our communication with Almighty God AND it is His communication with us.

We should always be praying with an open heart and a listening ear as we position ourselves to hear from our Lord and pray HIS will and desire for every situation.  Praying HIS will and not our own is what will result in answered prayer. 

As a follow-up to prayer, we may be called to declare and decree God’s Word out loud over a situation or over a place. We are God’s voice on the earth!!  He uses us to PRAY His will, to SPEAK His will, and to DO His will!!  HALLELUJAH!!

Father God, what a blessing to be able to join You in holy conversation! What a joy to be in Your presence and hear Your voice! Oh Lord! Help us to speak Your will boldly and with the authority You have given us!! May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! In Jesus’ Name! AMEN!! ~~Tina K. Roach

FOLLOW ME!

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I hear the Lord saying:

“I am looking for people who will put aside everything and follow Me. I am looking for people who will wholeheartedly seek after Me. I am looking for people who are willing to lay aside their plans for their lives and seek My plans. I am looking for people who will lay aside their insecurities and step out in faith into their calling and purpose.”

Are you one of those people?

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John‬ ‭12:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Lord, we know that Your plan for our lives is better than our own. Help us to let go of what WE think is best and step out in faith and follow You and Your will. We desire Your spiritual gifts to be manifested in and through us for Your glory! We desire to walk in Your calling! We put aside those things that would hold us back from being all that You are calling us to be! We love You, Lord!

Following after Him, Tina Roach

The Word of God

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“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

During this time of uncertainty and wondering who to listen to in the flow of changing information that comes across our hearing or reading, we need to remind ourselves that the word of God can be trusted.  The word of God does not contradict itself. It is not dependent upon external circumstances going on around us. As a matter of fact, we can navigate the changing landscape of our lives by taking God’s word and applying it to our lives. 

“All Scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Timothy 3:16) It is Truth and it is Eternal!! In the coming days, may we breathe in God’s Truth and may we walk out that Truth in strength and love!!

Lord, thank You for being our Rock on which we stand! Thank You for Your faithfulness in good times and bad! Thank You for Your word that gives us understanding and revelation of who You are and who we are as Your sons and daughters! We trust Your word…we trust Your promises…we trust YOU, O God!! Amen!

Breathing in God’s Truth, Tina K. Roach

Do it NOW!

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I don’t know if you are like me – but there are times looking back when I realize that I missed an opportunity to do a kind act. I might have thought, “It would be nice if I …” but, then somehow the moment passed and I didn’t follow through. Can anyone relate?

I have found that if I allow time to pass between the thought and follow through – there’s a good chance it won’t happen.

So! I am challenging myself and you to be quick in doing that kindness, in speaking an encouraging word, and in giving a helping hand.

“…do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Your Sister in the Journey, Tina K. Roach

Focus on the Eternal!

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“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As time goes on, I observe my hair turning gray and wrinkles appearing deeper and more pronounced. My eyesight has dimmed and my body has changed. Yes, outwardly there is a “wasting away.” Time does indeed affect our physical bodies.

BUT, we are told to not “lose heart” – to not get discouraged. Even as our physical bodies may let us down, our spirit is not getting weaker, it is getting stronger as we are being renewed day by day! Hallelujah!!

As we go through challenges and troubles, the Lord reminds us that in and through them we are receiving an eternal glory that outweighs them all!

So, I won’t focus on the changes of getting older. I won’t focus on COVID-19. I won’t focus on all the turmoil that is raging around us. I will remind myself that all that I see is temporary.

Brothers & Sisters! May we not focus on the problems, but focus on the SOLUTIONS. When we pray, may we not bring a list of everything that is wrong to the Lord, but may we seek His vision, plan, and purpose and join Him in praying that!! God knows what we need in our lives. God knows what we need in the world. As we seek Him, and move our focus from the seen to that which is unseen – we will be focusing on the eternal!!

Oh God!! We join You in speaking Your will, plan, and vision for our lives, our church, and our world. Help us, Lord, to get our eyes off of the problems and onto YOU! We join You in the midst of it all! We want to be a part of the solution that You want to bring to a hurting world. Speak to us, Lord! We are ready to be Your hands, feet, and mouth. Pour through us and touch this world for Your glory! In Jesus’ Name. Amen! ~Tina K. Roach

Positive Changes From COVID-19

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“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NASB‬‬

God loves us so much! We have all had to journey through some very challenging times during this COVID-19 pandemic.

It is such a blessing to know that not only has God been with us 24/7 during it all, but He actually is using it to transform and mold us into a stronger and more effective vessel for His presence in the world. I do not believe God caused this pandemic, but He is using it for our spiritual growth.

I believe that as we transition back into our communities, we will definitely not be the same!

What is a POSITIVE change that has happened in your life, family, job, community, church, etc. because of this pandemic season of time?

~Tina K. Roach